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Davey says Nationals not looking to retaliate

Davey says Nationals not looking to retaliate

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By Tom Schad
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MLB.com |

WASHINGTON -- Less than 24 hours after Braves starter Julio Teheran hit Bryce Harper with a fastball, emptying both benches and bullpens in a near fracas, Nationals manager Davey Johnson said that he didn't expect his team to retaliate in Wednesday's series finale.

"No," Johnson said, "it's just baseball as usual."

Harper hit a home run in the third inning before being hit by Teheran's pitch in the fifth. The ball hit Harper in the side of the right thigh, prompting the 20-year-old to yell and point at Teheran while walking to first base. Braves catcher Brian McCann, who had to be restrained by home-plate umpire Joe West, said that Harper circled the bases too slowly after his homer.

"He's got a bad leg," Johnson joked on Wednesday.

The Nationals' skipper said that he could feel a heightened intensity in the dugout after the ordeal and attributed it, in part, to the rivalry between the two teams and the Braves' 11-game win streak at the time. The teams' official Twitter accounts even got involved, though Johnson said that he didn't pay attention to their exchange.

"No, I avoid Twitter like the plague. Facebook, I avoid it," Johnson said. "I usually say what's on my mind, and a lot of times, I already say too much. I'm too candid. Everybody tweets, I guess, but not me."

Tom Schad is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.